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(No Model.)

M. A. BESSETT E.

GAR COUPLING. I No. 253,575. Patented Feb.14,1882.

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- UNITED STATES PATENT fOrFrenO f MICHEL A. BESSETTE, OF IBERVILLE, QUEBEC, CANADA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPEG IFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 253,575, dated February 14, 1882.

Application filed June 23, 1881.

-To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHEL ADRIEN BEssETTE,of the town of lberville and Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Automatic Oar-Coupling and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention refers to that class of selfcouplers-su'ch as the Millerin which the heads of the draw-bars are formed into hooks which engage with each other, and provides a coupler which, while firmly engaging, when desired, with the coupler of the next car as they come together, need not necessarily do so. It is also very easily uncoupled, either from the car or the ground, and may be used with ears furnished with the ordinary link and pin. 'It

is for these reasons'specially applicable to freight-cars, and the more so as their present construction need not be varied in any way, as my invention can be carried and secured in place in exactly the same way as the present draw-bar.

The invention may be thus described:

The draw-bar itself is slightlyeurved out-' ward, so as to bring the rounded edge of its head in the line of the center, thus insuring coupling as the cars come together. This head is, as shown, formed with the re-entering inner face usual in thisclass of car-couplers, but diflers from them in being made separate from the draw-bar and hinged or pivoted to it by a pin passing through. The pivoted head is, when the cars are required to couple, kept in line by an arm pivoted to the outside of the draw-bar and engaging with a catch formed on the side, thus making it rigid with the drawbar. When it is desired to uneouple the cars all that is necessary is to raise this arm, and the head thus released simply turns on its pivot as the other head passes it, when the cars are When the head is swung round in this way and the arm thrown back the cars can be brought together without being coupled by the contact. The draw-bar is formed with a stop on its inner face, which, while allowing sufficient play to the cars without danger of the draw-heads coming apart, will prevent them approaching too nearly. This stop may be formed on the outside, so as to approximate to the shoulder of the ordinary'draw-bar. A

(No model.)

groove formed in the face of the head will receive the link in cases when the cars provided with my invention are coupled with those with the usual link and pin. For full comprehension, however, of my invention, reference must be had to the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is a top view of the couplers, showing their position when the ears are secured together. Fig. 2 is a side view, showing the couplings drawn apart; and Fig. 3 is an end view of one draw-head, 860. V

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

A is the draw-bar, formed as shown, and' with stop A on its inner face, this stop being preferably carried through on the other side, as at A B is the draw-head, pivoted or hinged to A and secured thereto by pin a. This head B is shaped as shown, with rounded end and engaging inner face, B, and has a groove, B, formed in the end,in which the ordinary link may be received. v

U is the arm, pivoted to the outside of the draw-bar and falling into catch Don the drawhead. This bar 0 is shown as provided with a chain, by which it may be lifted up and out of the catch D; but any suitable means-such as a rod or link-may be used for the purpose, or handles at right angles may be attached thereto.

Although the pivoted arm 0, as shown and described, is a very simple and effective means of keeping the draw head and bar rigidly in a line, it must be understood that 1 do not confine myself to this special eontrivance, as many devices equivalent to the above maybe used for the purpose.

YVhat I claim is as follows:

In a car-coupler, the combination of the following elements: a curved draw-bar, a hooked head pivoted to the end of the draw-bar and arranged to slide horizontally past the meeting draw-head, and a swinging bar pivoted to the draw-bar and fitting into a catch projecting from the head, all substantially as herein set forth.

MICHEL ADRIEN BESSETTE.

Witnesses:

J. A. NADEAU, LnoN LORRAIN. 

